A drama professor at Arizona State University has been denied tenure because of his commitment to teaching the works of William Shakespeare, a decision that has not gone down well with at least one Canadian student newspaper. The department’s head argues that Shakespeare’s work is "racist and sexist" and therefore unsuitable for universities, and has committed to getting rid of classic works. The university has replaced Hamlet with "Betty the Yeti: An Eco Fable," which depicts a feminist who leaves her husband for a sasquatch. In response, a highly critical editorial in The Varsity, published by the University of Toronto, argues that this attack on higher education is part of the wider problem of diversity consciousness. This focus on multiculturalism can outweigh the pursuit of knowledge, career preparation and reason, the newspaper suggests, arguing that "ethnic diversity" is often disguised "racism." A similar sentiment was expressed in an editorial published by the student paper at Ohio University, which called for the rejection of the proposed amendment to the US Constitution deal that would outlaw physical desecration of the US national flag, arguing that this would undermine fundamental freedoms.
At the University of Melbourne, Farrago, the student-run publication, ran a lively headline that stated, "Why Melbourne University Is Stuffed." The article reported that the vice-chancellor appeared to be increasingly ditzy after a London-based newspaper published reports on the university’s funding and sponsorship plans for a private university with a possibly unstable financial footing. In addition, the piece claimed that the recent upgrading of postgraduate student’s marks could be linked to a $2m "donation" to the university. The official voice of the student union at the National University of Singapore, Quo Vadis Aspire, attracted attention with an independent-minded article on a member of Singapore’s opposition, Chiam See Tong, who recently spoke to 400 students at the national university. The same publication ran another article on the question of whether cell phones are friends or foes, while Boston College’s student newspaper, The Heights, published a light-hearted editorial calling for an appreciation of the many uses of mayonnaise.
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